Emotion Sickness
by COHandshake
Summary: AU Squinoa Squall is a fledgling vampire, and Rinoa is just a normal teen. Was it luck that brought them together... or something else? First fic, flames welcome. Rated PG13 for some later language...
1. Prologue

I don't own Squaresoft...

Emotion Sickness

Prologue:

A lone figure strode down a deserted alley, black trench coat billowing out behind him as he walked. Rats peered out at him from their homes in old take-out boxes and garbage bins, light from the streetlamps reflecting in their eyes and giving them an eerie glow. Graffiti was etched on the brick walls of the run-down buildings on either side of him and all kinds of litter and waste were strewn around, mud and grime sticking to the bottom of the man's feet as he walked. He paid no attention to the state of the little street, but headed straight toward a single metal door with peeling green paint at the end of the alley and paused to knock three times.

"Who's there?" a rough voice grunted from the other side of the door after a couple of seconds.

"Squall," said the man quietly "I'm all out, did you get a shipment in recently?"

The man behind the door seemed to hesitate, before sliding the door open and grabbing Squalls sleeve. Pulling him inside, he peered out into the gloom to make sure he hadn't been followed before shutting the door again.

The man looked Squall over critically.

"How much do you need?"

The man had short blonde hair and startlingly green eyes. He was tall and lanky, but still had a tough badass look about him. A mischievous glint was in his eye and a long scar ran diagonally across his face between his right eye and nose. He seemed very sure of himself, or it might have been mere cockiness as he smirked at Squall.

"Quite a bit," Squall said "I'm totally out."

"You know," said the blonde with a wolf-like grin "you could always do it....the natural way."

"No, Seifer," Squall said "you know I won't. I refuse to."

Seifer sighed.

"I don't know why you refuse, it's not that bad. Quite enjoyable, actually."

Squall gave a harsh laugh, which sounded more like a bark.

"You're sick."

Seifer gave another sigh, this time accompanied by the shaking of his head.

"Give it another couple months; you'll change your mind."

"Look," Squall snapped, throwing off his hood "Are you going to sell it to me or not?"

He had silky chestnut coloured hair and was shorter than Seifer, though not by much. He was just as muscular looking, if not more so, than Seifer as well. He also had a scar running diagonally across his face, but going in the opposite direction, and a sharp looking metal barbell went through his eyebrow, while another one went through his lip. The most interesting thing about him, however, was his eyes. They were ethereal blue, giving him a cold and distant look, but as if something deeper was hiding just beneath the surface, something that nobody would ever be able to dig up. Something he kept to himself.

"Yeah, yeah," Seifer muttered, going to the nearby fridge and pulling out a couple boxes. "You want four?" he asked.

Squall nodded, and Seifer handed him the boxes. Balancing them on one hand, Squall dug into his pocket and produced his wallet.

"How much?"

"A hundred's fine."

Squall frowned, his eyes narrowing.

"Only a hundred? Why?"

Seifer's grin flickered back like a lost radio signal.

"Oh, I just have a feeling you won't be needing them for much longer," Seifer said,ushering Squall to the door.

"Screw you." He spat as he thrust the money into Seifer's hand.

"They all cave in at the end, Squall." Seifer said with a hint of amusement "Eventually, you will too."

"No, I won't" Squall insisted.

Seifer pushed him out the door.

"Have a nice night!" With a false cheery smile, he swung the door shut, and Squall found himself facing the cold metal door once again.

Well, theres the prologue. This is my first fic ever so try to be nice about it. I don't really mind if you didn't like it, but tell me why you didn't and then my next stories will be better. Feel free to comment or give ideas/suggestions.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

The silence pressed in on him from all sides, smothering him like a thick fog as he walked through the heart of the sleeping town, his echoing footsteps the only thing that disturbed the night. Moonlight mingled with the harsh glow of the streetlamps placed periodically down the narrow street, creating a false orange which illuminated the dilapidated townhouses and run-down corner stores. A lone cricket chirped once, the sound ringing out before silence engulfed him once more.

He loved this time of night, almost morning but not quite; when the whole town was asleep and it was so quiet you could hear yourself think. It was just him, by himself.

Alone...just the way he liked it.

He passed well-kept gardens, carefully manicured lawns, and gleaming cars. The further out he went from the rich part of town the less people seemed to care about the state of their lawns, and the fact that the paint on their house was peeling a little, and their cars were a bit dirty.

_Normal_ people.

But then again, what exactly was normal? Nothing in Squall's life had everbeen 'normal', and he didn't think it ever would be. Especially since _it_ happened.

He must have been quite a sight; a youth about the age of nineteen striding furiously down the street at four a.m. in the morning. One hand stuffed into his pocket and the other balancing our boxes, eyes downcast, staring with intense concentration at his feet but not really seeing anything; lost in his own thoughts.

He learned the importance of watching where he was going about 2.7 seconds later when his foot collided with the curb and he fell unceremoniously over, landing on the hard concrete with a resounding thud. The boxes he had been holding flew from his hand and tumbled onto the street. He let out a little 'oof' as the wind was knocked out of him, and his hand was chewed up from where he had tried to break his fall but found it trapped in his pocket. He had brought it out too late to stop his fall, but early enough to prevent himself from smashing his face into the pavement.

He groaned and let out a string of colourful curses, before picking himself up off the pavement and nonchalantly brushing bits of dirt from his trench coat. He shrugged and

straightened his shirt, trying to look as if nothing had happened, which made no difference since nobody had been watching him anyway. He sighed and bent over to pick up the scattered boxes, checking them over to make sure their cargo wasn't damaged. His hands were bleeding and bits of grit and dirt were stuck in them. He brushed his hand hard against his jeans and the little stones came out. Then he watched as his skin healed itself in seconds, leaving no trace of the cuts except for a bit of dried blood. He picked up the boxes and began making his way down the street again.

He wondered if they even missed him. His mother had died giving birth to him and his father hated him for it. He never gave up the chance to tell Squall that he wished it had been the other way around and Raine had lived instead of him. He often had too much to drink and got himself into a drunken rage, in which Squall was all too happy to disappear for a couple of hours to give his father time to calm down and sleep off the alcohol. He'd wander around town by himself. He didn't have any friends, since people tended to think he was odd since he hardly ever spoke, and his unblinking gaze made people uncomfortable. People usually just pretended he wasn't there, and that was just as well for him, since that was the way he preferred it. As long as he didn't get attached to anyone, he couldn't hurt anyone, and he, in turn, could not be hurt. It was simple. That's how it had been his whole life. Eventually, he had just stopped attending school, and slowly the phone calls home saying that he had skipped classes – again– ceased to exist.

He made his way down another alley, this one a bit cleaner than the last, and searched his pockets for his key. He finally found it and, after inserting into the lock, pushed his way into his apartment. The smell of cigarette smoke filled his nostrils, causing him to sneeze, before he shut the door behind him and locked it once more. He still hadn't gotten rid of that awful smell, thoughtfully left behind by the apartment's previous occupants. He had never smoked in his life, although he had tried it once, and it had made his throat so sore he vowed not to smoke again. Plus, it smelled bad and made your teeth all yellow. He emptied his pockets on the small table behind the door and walked into the living room. Nothing fancy: just a couch, small TV, coffee table, and a couple old magazines and books. There wasn't a cooking appliance in sight.

Squall didn't have tons of money, so he didn't bother getting a fancy apartment that he wouldn't need. He had enough money to be comfortable, though. He worked a night shift at the local hospital as a janitor part time, and that was enough to pay Seifer and buy himself some new clothes once in a while. He crossed the room in a couple strides and opened the mini fridge. It was almost completely empty, except for one box identical to the ones he had bought from Seifer earlier that night. He placed the new boxes carefully in the fridge and took out the old one, tipping it over and emptying its contents into his hand. They seemed to be plastic juice boxes or bags, with what looked like fruit punch in them. He took one of the little bags and put the other two in the fridge. Carefully opening one of the bags so he wouldn't spill a drop, he tipped back his head and downed the contents in a couple huge gulps. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and heaved a great sigh of contentment, before collapsing on the couch and falling into a deep sleep.

The sun was rising.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

She was running down a deserted street; endlessly searching. Her head snapped left and right, causing her raven-coloured hair to flail wildly around her pale face. Her footsteps echoed on the soggy pavement. She must find what she was looking for, even if it took her forever to do so. She sensed she was close. Almost there...a few more steps....she turned a corner....

She gasped and slowly blinked, returning to consciousness.

The dream again.

The same dream she had been having periodically ever since she was nine. The dream where as soon as she was at the end, she would wake up. No matter how hard she tried to stay asleep and find out what she was searching for, she always woke up. Always.

She sighed and pushed sweaty hair off her forehead and sat up too quickly, resulting in a head rush. Covering her face with a sweaty palm, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

The dream...again. She had thought she was rid of the dream, since she hadn't had it in almost two years. The doctors had told her it was because of stress, but ever since_ it_ had happened to her mother, she had started having those dreams.

After her mother died she was automatically shipped off to Deling, where her father was the general of the army. She had lived here for eight or nine years now, and had settled in quite nicely. The dreams had eventually stopped, and she had thought it was for good until—

"Good morning, Miss Rinoa."

Rinoa jumped slightly. She had been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't heard her maid, Marilyn, come in.

"Oh. G-Good morning..."

Marilyn gave her a concerned look.

"Are you alright, Miss?"

Rinoa realized she must look horrible. She could feel sweat on her forehead and she was shaking slightly. She could tell she was pale.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," Rinoa murmured. "Bad dream, that's all."

Marilyn nodded, as if she understood. "Well, breakfast is ready, if you'd like some. Or

would you like me to bring it up to you? I'd go down though, if I were you. Your father is expecting you."

Rinoa forced a smile. "No, tell him I'll be down in a minute."

Marilyn gave a brisk nod and bustled out of the room.

Rinoa swung her legs to the side of the bed and walked shakily across the room into the bathroom that was attached to her bedroom. She stood at the sink and splashed cool water onto her face, then peered at her reflection in the mirror. She looked as bad as she felt, and she could tell why Marilyn was worried. Her large chocolate coloured eyes were bloodshot, and her long hair was pasted to her face and forehead. Black was smudged around her eyes since she hadn't taken off her make-up the night before. Her face was even paler then usual, and the skin was puffy around her eyes, as if she had been crying.

She stripped off her pajamas and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water soothe her nerves. The bathroom was full of steam when she finally got out and dried herself off with the towel. She went back over to the mirror and rubbed the condensation off with one hand. She looked normal now, and the hot water had brought the blood back to her face.

She left the bathroom and went into her huge walk-in closet, which was packed with shirts, pants, skirts, shoes, and anything else you could possibly ever want to wear. Her father seemed to think that the best way to make up for not being in her life before this was to shower her with expensive gifts and ship her off to some snotty expensive school. Well, she didn't mind having new clothes once and a while, since her mother had never had that much money and new clothes weren't always an option, but her father was going a bit overboard. And she had a few close friends at her school.

It was Saturday so she didn't half to wear the usual short skirt and blouse that were mandatory at the all-girls private school she attended. Her father was paranoid about her and boys, so he had sent her to an all-girl's school and always had to know where she was going and who she would be with and when she would be home, and was there going to be alcohol or drugs at the party. The list goes on. She understood where he was coming from, but if he took the time to get to know his daughter, he would know that she wasn't into drinking or smoking pot.

Thank god she was graduating this year.

She ended up picking out a plain t-shirt and a pair of jeans before leaving her room and descending the large staircase into the dining room, where her father was reading the paper.

"Morning, Princess," he said as he looked up at her with a smile that ruffled his large moustache.

She gave him what she thought was a winning smile and took a seat at the opposite end of the table.

"Have a good sleep?" he asked, his eyes back down at the newspaper in his hand.

"Oh...yes, it was good."

She didn't know why she lied. She had barely slept at all last night, and then the dream...

"What are your plans for today?"

She reached over and grabbed an orange from the basket in the middle of the table.

"I was thinking about going to the mall with Quistis and Selphie, maybe

do a little shopping."

Her father raised an eyebrow, still looking down at the paper.

"_Just_ Selphie and Quistis?"

"Yes, _Daddy_," Rinoa said, with more than a bite of impatience in her voice.

"Because if I find out you went off with some...some _boy_, you're going to be in a whole lot of trouble!"

He was actually looking at her now.

"I know! You've told me a thousand times! No boys, I got it!"

General Caraway nodded and looked down at the paper once more.

"Not till you graduate." His face was slightly red.

She rolled her eyes, and began to peel the orange in her hand.

If she found a guy she liked, her father wasn't going to stop her from dating him. It's only wrong if she gets caught, right? But then again, she probably wouldn't find a guy she liked enough to date this year. It was hard to find nice guys when you went to an all-girls private school.

Rinoa glumly started on her orange.

* * *

She laughed, enjoying the feel of the wind through her hair. It was a beautiful afternoon, not too hot but not too cold either. Quistis said something and Selphie laughed loudly, exchanging worthless gossip. Rinoa smiled to herself and changed lanes. Quistis and Selphie had been her best friends ever since the first day of her new school in Deling. They were the best friends she had ever had.

Selphie reached over and clicked on the radio, and some song they both new came on.They started singing loudly, getting strange looks from pedestrians as they sped by.

Quistis was eighteen, like Rinoa and Selphie, and had beautiful long blonde hair and deep blue eyes. She had a tall and willowy frame, and seemed more like an older sister than a best friend at times. She wore thin framed glasses that suited her face perfectly.

Selphie, on the other hand, was almost exactly the opposite, and Rinoa sometimes wondered how they were such good friends; they were so different. She had shoulder-length brown hair, which she flipped up at the sides, and brilliant green eyes. Rinoa realized that she had never seen Selphie upset. She was always cheery and laughing, and her grin was highly infectious. Quistis was more mature and calm, but Rinoa supposed they balanced each other.

Rinoa slowed her car and turned into the mall parking lot.

"Oh man," Quistis groaned. "Why did we have to come to the mall on a Saturday? Look how busy it is!"

Rinoa bit her lip. She was right; there wasn't a parking space in sight.

Selphie grinned.

"Dilemma of the Day!" her voice took on a dramatic edge. "How to find a parking spot!"

"Dun dun dun duuunnn!"

Rinoa giggled.

"Ooh!" Quistis screamed suddenly and pointed. "Look!"

A man was getting into his car ahead of them, and at the opposite end of the parking lot another car was driving over to take his parking space.

"Noooo, you don't!" Rinoa said fiercely. "This means war!"

She slammed her foot on the gas pedal and sped toward the man, who was just backing out of the parking spot. Luckily for them, he backed out facing the opposite car, so it was Rinoa who snuck in and got the space.

"Triumph!" Quistis shrieked with glee.

The opposite car driver was brandishing a fist at them. Rinoa gave him an innocent smile, and she, Quistis, and Selphie walked into the mall.

* * *

"Hmm... how about this one?"

Rinoa looked over at Quistis, who was holding up a very revealing, tight shirt.

"Oh, for your night job?" Selphie asked innocently.

Quistis glared and stuck out her tongue, then went back to browsing through the racks that were marked 50 off.

"Aww, Rin, that's such a pretty dress, you should try it on!"

Rinoa looked up at Selphie, then back down at the white flowing dress in her hands.

"I dunno, I mean, what's the point? The only formal occasion I could wear this to would be my dads stuffy political parties..."

"Well, you know," Selphie lowered her voice, and her eyes lit up. "I heard Headmaster Frean talking about a dance coming up. With guys."

Rinoa's eyes widened. A dance...guys would be there. Here father would never let her go.

Selphie seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Rinoa.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him, Rin." She said with a wink.

Rinoa grinned and waved one of the ladies that worked at the store over.

"Yes, I'd like to try this on..."

* * *

Well, theres another chapter. Thanks to everybody who reviewed, it means a lot, and I probably wouldn't write any more if people didn't :). Tell me what you think...update comin up... 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Squall awoke with a start, his heart thumping in his chest and his breath coming out in rapid bursts. The dream. Who was that girl, the one running in his dreams? He wanted to help her, help her find what she was looking for, but whenever he tried to call out or move he found himself immobile and unable to speak. She looked so helpless and vulnerable. He had to help her, but he just couldn't. All he could do was watch. Watch and wait until she found what she was looking for, but she never did.

He got up and walked shakily over to the window. Peeling back the curtain, he peered out into the fog. Yes, night was falling.

Striding over to the fridge, he pulled it open and grabbed a couple of those weird plastic bags.

Full of....blood.

After he had satisfied his thirst somewhat, he swung his black trench coat over his shoulders and left his apartment, remembering to lock it before he left. If anybody found the blood...found out what he was...he didn't want to think about it. He was still thirsty though, but, then again,he was always thirsty.

He walked down the narrow street, furiously like the night before. He had to work tonight, and the hospital was about a half hour walk from his apartment. It wasn't too bad, but he had to make sure he left early enough to get back to his apartment before the sun rose.

Squall remembered when he had first been made into a vampire. He had thought vampires didn't exist, and all those rumors about them, like not having a reflection, were just that: rumors. How naïve he had been. Some of them were false, however. Like vampires being afraid of garlic; he had tested that one out on himself. And he had a refection, no matter what the legends said.

But he had found out the hard way that sunlight does affect vampires.

It had been morning and Squall had been getting ready to go to sleep when he saw a ray of sunlight coming through a gap in the curtains. After a couple of minutes, he had tentatively stuck his pale hand into the light, and experienced some of the worst pain he had ever had in his life, dead or otherwise. He was lucky that time, the sun had just risen and its rays weren't strong yet. If he had done that in the afternoon he probably wouldn't have a hand anymore.

Or worse.

He turned onto Baltimore Crescent, and stalked past fast food restaurants and banks. The night was young, and many people walked the streets; laughing loudly and hailing taxis. Some gave him curious stares. He could tell why. As far as he knew there were only a few other vampires in Deling, and he seldom met any of them. His pale skin must have stood out.

After walking for about half an hour he finally arrived at the hospital. He entered through the automatic doors and was blasted by air conditioning. The smell of antibiotics and sickness was overpowering.

"Evening, Squall."

The security guard, with a name like Gerald or Herald or something, glanced up from a stack of sheets on his desk and handed Squall a pair of keys.

"Second floor, Ward B."

Squall nodded and pocketed the keys.

"Have a nice night."

The security guard nodded and looked back down at the papers, his tongue between his teeth.

Squall continued his confident stroll towards the elevators, slipping between harassed looking nurses and feeble old ladies tottering outside for a smoke, their IVs wheeling along behind them. He impatiently pressed the up button, and stood with one hand on his hip and a bored expression on his face.

"Going up?" said a voice.

He cocked his head ever so slightly to one side to see the speaker. It was a short youth who looked around Squall's age, if not a bit younger. He had spiky blonde hair and an odd black tattoo in a weird pattern on his face. Squall briefly wondered how much gel was needed to make his hair defy gravity like that. He was wearing extremely baggy blue shorts, and a red jacket. He immediately struck Squall as someone he'd normally dislike. One of those over-enthusiastic and hyper-all-the-time kind of people. Ones that Squall would normally avoid, along with many others.

A look of annoyance flashed across his features. "We're on the ground floor. The only way to go is up."

The blonde giggled, as if Squall had made a joke.

"I'm Zell, by the way. What's your name?"

He extended his hand, an amused expression on his face. Squall stared at his hand for a second, before moving to accept the handshake. Squall felt Zell shudder as he shook Squall's cold pale hand. He allowed himself a small mischievous grin before strolling into the elevator, which had opened in the meantime.

"You coming?"

Zell seemed to snap out of his daze, and his grin returned.

"Hey, thanks!" he said as he strutted into the elevator and stabbed violently at a button with the number four on it. The button with the number two was already lit up.

"So," Zell said. "Where you from?"

"Here."

"I see. Do you work here?"

"Yes."

"Are you a doctor or something? Cause you don't look like one..."

"No."

"What do you do then?"

The elevator slowed to a halt, and the doors opened with a ding and a soft whoosh. Squall quickly got out.

"Uh, some other time then?"

"Whatever."

The doors slid shut again.

"See you later!" Squall heard Zell call from behind the doors.

He strode down the long brightly lit hallway, passing a uniformed nurse here and there and skirting around feeble patients making their way to the bathrooms. The keys jangled in his pocket as he approached the janitor's closet and unlocked it. He pulled out his cart with the mops and brooms, sponges, floor cleaner, and toilet paper and wheeled it around the corner. He chose a piece of floor to work on and started mopping.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Rinoa turned over in her bed, trying to get some sleep. Her body was screaming for rest, but her brain didn't want to shut down. She was afraid of having the dream again. She wanted to know what it meant. She wanted to know what she was looking for in her dreams, but she dreaded the searching.

She knew she'd never find it.

Her thoughts turned to that horrible night eight years ago. She tried not to think about it, but her mind kept coming back to it. She had been ten years old, and her mother and father had divorced when she was young. Her father had been too controlling, and her mother, Julia, hated when people told her what to do. They were always yelling at each other, and eventually Julia left and took Rinoa with her. Rinoa was the world to Julia, and she would do anything to make her daughter happy.

As she thought about her mother, she noticed more and more how different she was compared to everybody else, but she couldn't quite put her finger on _why_.

She remembered it like it was yesterday.

_"Good night, Rinoa. I love you. Always remember that." Julia said as she tucked the_ _covers around her daughter._

_"Good night, mommy."_

_A crash was heard from downstairs. A look of alarm flitted across Julia's face, and she_ _whirled around to face the door._

_Deep male voices could be heard from the stairway. Julia's eyes widened._

_"Quick, Rinoa! Into the closet!"_

_Rinoa obediently sprang out of her bed and rushed over to her closet. She pulled open the_ _door and got inside, and then closed the door again, leaving a small crack to see through._

_Julia turned to face the door again, her chin up._

_"Stay still, and whatever you do, don't say anything. Don't come out, no matter what."_

_Rinoa gulped and nodded, even though her mother couldn't see her. She was so scared._

_Who were the men downstairs? What did they want?_

_The voices came nearer._ _They were at the top of the stairs._

_The door flew open. Three men, powerfully built, were silhouetted in the doorway._

_"What do you want?" Her mother said, calm and in control._

_One of the men snarled._

_"You know perfectly well what we want, witch."_

_Rinoa didn't understand what was happening._

_"Please," her mother said "I'm not doing any harm. Let me live in peace."_

_The men laughed cruelly._

_"You? Live? We never let your kind live. You don't deserve it."_

_The others laughed._

_"Please..." Julia whispered._

_"I've had enough of this," one of the men said, obviously the leader. "Get rid of her."_

_"No!" Julia screamed. "You don't understand!"_

_"We understand enough." He sneered._

_The men advanced towards her, drawing their weapons._

_"C'mon, witch. Aren't you gonna put up a fight?"_

_Julia, tears streaming down her face, shook her head. Her eyes suddenly turned scarlet,_ _and a powerful aura radiated from her body. There seemed to be some kind of light coming from_ _her. She hovered a few inches off the ground, white light pouring off her. Then, after a final blast_ _of light, she fell to a crumpled heap on the floor, utterly exhausted._

_Something in Rinoa stirred._

_The men jeered and laughed._

_"Is that all you got? We might as well leave her alone, she's so weak."_

_They chuckled amongst themselves, then grabbed Julia by the arms, hauling her off the_ _floor. Tears were streaming down her cheeks._

_"No! Please!"_

_She kicked, trying to free herself._

_Rinoa watched in horror from the closet. Her mother had told her not to come out, but_ _now she needed help. She didn't know what to do. What could she do to these grown men?_

_Something in Julia's body language told her not to help her._

_Stay put._

_Julia suddenly went limp, accepting her fate. The men laughed again, and dragged her out_ _of the room._

_Rinoa curled up in a ball in the closet and cried herself to sleep_.

* * *

"She needs to be taken care of," a cruel voice spoke out in the darkness "and I want you to do it. She probably doesn't even know."

"Yes, sir. Are you sure about this?"

"Dead sure. I'd rather you not question my judgment."

The younger man nodded meekly, his long ponytail swaying on his shoulders.

"When do you want us to leave sir?"

"As soon as possible."

The young man saluted and left the office.

* * *

Another chapter down. Thanks so much for the reviews, guys! Extra thanks to Lady Riddle, who has been my motivation D And yes, Squall and Rinoa will meet either in the next chapter or the one...after....that....

Lazy Shatteredjade: I only double space because I find it easier to read, but that might just be me. And who ever said Squall was going to be at the party? I'll explain how he became a vampire and stuff in later chapters. Trying to keep things mysterious ... dun dun dun


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

The silence was broken by the creak of a footstep on the floor. Someone trying to be cautious. There was huge bang and barely contained curses were heard from inside the bedroom. Silence again. After a minute there was the sound of a window slowly being opened.

Suddenly there was a flood of light.

_Shit._

"Miss Rinoa!? What ARE you doing!?"

"Umm..." Rinoa thought hard, trying to think of a good excuse of why she was in a dress with her leg sticking out of a window. "I was...uhh....just looking...for...the, um..."

Marilyn gave a little chuckle.

"You know, the front door is a lot easier. Not so high," she gave Rinoa a disapproving look, but there was still a gleam of laughter in her eye "come on, I won't tell General Caraway."

She flicked the lights off and left the room. After Rinoa extracted herself from the window she followed.

Marilyn led the way to the side door, and when they got there she handed Rinoa a pair of keys.

"One's the house key for when you get back, the other is the key for your father's Porsche." She gave Rinoa a little wink. "Have fun!"

Rinoa grinned, and walked down to the garage, her heels making little clicking noises onthe pavement.

This was going to be a fun night.

* * *

Selphie screamed with laughter.

"I can't believe you snuck out!" She shouted over the bass of the music.

Rinoa shoved her hand over her mouth and giggled.

"Can I just get a water!?" Quistis, over at the bar, asked. She came back a minute later looking exasperated but clutching a bottle in her hand.

"Ugh, the service here is horrible."

Rinoa and Selphie both laughed and dragged Quistis over to the dance floor

"So, Rinoa my dear. Was it worth it?"

"Hell yes!" Rinoa laughed.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, she spun around and found herself staring up into a pair of deep emerald eyes.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Well, you could help me by dancing with me, for one."

He flashed her a grin.

Rinoa glanced over at Selphie. "He's hot!" she mouthed.

Selphie took the hint. "I'm thirsty! C'mon, Quisty!" Selphie dragged her off the dance floor again towards the punch. A slow song came on. Rinoa laid her hand on his shoulders and he put his arms around her waist. He smelled like aftershave.

"So, you live around here?" She asked.

He chuckled.

"You could say that, I guess."

She raised an eyebrow, wondering what he meant, but then dismissing it. His blond hair was almost glowing in the black light. She noticed he had a scar that ran down between his eyes.

He saw her looking at it.

"Car accident," He said before she could ask. She noticed that he looked slightly uncomfortable, so she let it drop and continued to sway with the music.

The next song was a fast one. Sneaking out was definitely worth it.

* * *

Squall wiped his forehead and glanced down at his watch. He was off in fifteen minutes. He sighed and pushed sweaty hair away from his eyes. He glanced around after he heard squeaky footsteps in the hall by his left. It was his boss.

"Not much more to do tonight, Squall. You can head home early."

"Thanks."

He pushed his cleaning trolley back to the janitor's closet and locked it up. The elevator was mercifully Zell-free. He pushed the first floor button and waited for the ding and the woosh.

He was blasted by air conditioning as he strode out of the elevator.

There was a different security guard on now. Squall didn't know her name. He handed her the keys.

"Have a nice night," she said in a cheery voice.

He grunted in response and kept walking. The night was still young; he had no thought of going back to his musty cigarette apartment yet. He decided to take a stroll through the park that was on the way back to his place. Only a few people were on the streets. Making a mental note to buy a watch with his next paycheck, he estimated that it was around one o'clock.

* * *

"Oh, it's hot in here,"

They had been dancing for at least ten minutes straight.

"You wanna go outside and cool off a bit?"

Rinoa nodded, and wondered faintly where Selphie and Quistis went off too. Seifer, she

learned his name was, grabbed her elbow a bit forcefully and steered her outside. He sat down on a bench that overlooked the park and motioned for her to sit beside him.

"So, enjoying yourself so far?"

Rinoa nodded and grinned. She was about to add something when Seifer scooted closer and put an arm around her.

_Going a bit fast there, buddy._

"I...um...."

"Relax," he chanted.

"I have to go," she announced suddenly "Selphie and Quistis are probably looking for me," she made to stand up, but he grabbed her arm.

"Don't tell me your cooled off already..."

* * *

The smell of freshly cut grass wafted on the air. Squall inhaled deeply. He loved that smell. He could hear music off to his right a bit, and grinned to himself, but it was a sad one. He wished he was a normal person like them still.

"Get your hands off me!" he heard a woman shriek. Her voice sounded like it was coming from the direction of the party. He shrugged and made his way towards her.

* * *

Seifer pulled Rinoa back onto the bench.

"C'mon," he said, his eyes gleaming wickedly "I won't bite!" He paused. "Actually, scratch that, maybe I will."

He forced Rinoa's head to one side and sank his fangs into her neck.

She screamed.

* * *

He heard her scream, and started jogging over towards the bench. He caught sight of two people sitting there. One was limp, and the other was embracing her, his face to her neck.

Biting her!

Seifer!

He ran over and ripped Seifer off forcefully.

"What are you doing!?" Seifer demanded, blood smeared all over his mouth.

"What am I doing? What are YOU doing!? There are people EVERYWHERE! You think nobody will notice? She screamed, for Christ's sake!"

Seifer laughed.

"What? Like they can stop me?"

"No," Squall growled, "But I can."

Seifers grin disappeared.

"And you're going to?"

"You know I will."

Seifers glare could kill. Squall was ready for anything, but instead Seifer spat at his feet and strode angrily away.

Squall hadn't noticed he'd been holding his breath, and he let it all out. Then he remembered the girl. He looked over at the bench.

She was lying on it, unconscious. Her raven black hair fell over her face, but her neck was exposed and pale in the moonlight.

He came a bit closer.

Blood was seeping in a fine trickle down the side of her neck. It looked so tantalizing, glittering, beckoning to him. He leaned even closer. He was so close he could smell it. He could feel the warmth from her body. He could hear her heart pumping blood through her veins. He wanted to taste it. Just a little...

_Oh my god. What am I doing!?_

He flung himself away with such force that he found himself on his back on the concrete, chest heaving, gasping for air.

He had to get away.

He had almost lost control.

He had almost _killed_ her.

He turned to leave, to run back to his apartment and forget this whole thing. Forget the

fact that Seifer was right. He would have liked it. He still wanted to. Wanted to taste the warm blood running down his throat. Wanted to --

_Stop it!_

Maybe he was changing his mind after all? Maybe he and Seifer weren't so different.

Maybe he didn't have any control over his body anymore.

He started to edge away. He needed to leave.

_You can't leave her like this,_ the softer side of him said, _unconscious on a bench._

Luckily there was a payphone nearby.

Squall didn't have any money on him, but he still called 911 and requested an ambulance immediately, staying on the line only long enough to state his location.

He lurked in the shadows long enough to make sure that Seifer didn't come back. When the ambulance arrived he fled.

* * *

Pretty short and retarded, I know. For those of you who were looking for a big Squall/Rinoa meeting....surprise! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, but I've just been too lazy to write anymore. So, I hope you enjoyed, but if you didn't make sure you tell me. Squall and Rinoa will really meet in hopefully the next chapter, whenever I get around to writing it. Make sure you review, kay? If not....well.... 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

Squall collapsed onto his couch, exhausted. He knew that Seifer regularly killed people like that, but him actually seeing him do it...he wasn't sure Seifer would forgive him. If he didn't, Squall didn't know where else he could get blood. He didn't regret saving that girl though.

Pale sunlight peeked through a gap in the curtains. Squall scowled and jumped up, quickly pressing the curtains together. He sat back down and gave a little smirk when he thought about what might have happened in strong sunlight if he had been asleep.

_Maybe it would have been a good thing...painful though..._

He yawned widely and threw himself back down onto the couch, sinking into the cushions. His eyes did a familiar sweep of the room to make sure all the curtains were closed, something he did without thinking these days. When he was certain no sunlight would get at him, he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

* * *

Rinoa's eyes cracked open. She rubbed them, wondering why her vision was so blurry.

_God, my bed is uncomfortable. Since when has it –_

She sat up quickly, and gasped as pain went searing through her neck. Her hands found bandages wrapped tightly around her throat, and her vision cleared to show her the blank white walls of Deling General Hospital. She hoped that she would never have to see this place again...

"Awake then are you, Ms. Heartily?"

Her eyes were having trouble focusing, but she could make out a nurse peering at her from over a clipboard. The nurse bustled over to her bed and laid a cool hand on her forehead.

"Hmm..." she murmured, pursing her lips. "You don't have a fever. How do you feel?"

"I..."

"Do you remember what happened? Your father is very worried..."

"I..." Rinoa started again "I don't remember a thing. Why does my neck hurt? My head hurts too. And my eyes won't focus properly."

"You seemed to have hit your head, that's why your head hurts and your eyes are strained. The neck is what confuses me. Your sure you don't remember anything?"

It suddenly dawned on her.

"The party!"

"What?"

"I was at a party with Selphie and Quistis! There was this guy, named Seifer, and we went outside to cool down. I don't understand. I think he...bit me. And then this other guy came. I'm not even sure if it was real..." she murmured.

"What did this other guy do?" the nurse wanted to know.

"He...he pulled Seifer off of me. And then I think I was unconscious, because I don't remember anything else."

"And where were your friends?"

"They...they left because Seifer asked me to dance. I didn't see them at all after that."

"I see," said the nurse, but Rinoa could tell she was skeptical. "I'll inform your father that you are awake. He'll want to get the police in here to question you as well."

"Great." Rinoa muttered under her breath.

_I'll have to tell him I snuck out. And poor Marilyn, she might get fired because of me...and what if he forbids me from hanging out with Selphie and Quistis anymore? He might even make me switch schools! Even if he does, I'm going to stay friends with Selph and Quisty no matter what!_

Rinoa heaved a great sigh and slowly laid back onto her bed to wait for her father.

* * *

RING! RING! RING!

Squall was rudely awakened by the harsh cries of his alarm clock. He growled in frustration. This was the LAST time. Without looking up, he grabbed his alarm clock and savagely threw it across the room.

RING! RING! RI -!

Smash.

He groaned. He really needed to stop smashing his alarm clocks like that. That was the third one this week. If he kept it up he'd have no money left.

He slowly rolled out of bed and estimated that the sun was just setting. Perfect.

Striding into the bathroom, he quickly had his usual shower and dried himself off with a towel before changing into his usual black attire. He didn't even bother to brush his hair, just ran a hand through it inattentively. Then he peered through the curtains. It was totally dark out, and he had to work again tonight. He scowled to himself at the thought of mopping up floors and sponging down bathrooms, but he had to do it. There were no other night jobs that were perfect for him. Grabbing his keys, Squall left his apartment and locked it behind him.

* * *

Rinoa laid a hand on her forehead, shaking from her interview with her father and the police. They had just left. She could tell that her father was ready to explode, he was so angry at her for sneaking out, but he was refraining from yelling because she was feeling horrible. The nurse had probably told him not to. The officer had asked what seemed like hundreds of questions, ranging from what Seifer looked like to what car she had driven to the party. He had also asked what the 'other guy' looked like, but Rinoa couldn't give him anything. It was so dark, and she had barely been conscious when he came. All she could remember was the chestnut coloured hair, and the way it had fell in front of his eyes. She gave a slight cough and tried to get some sleep.

* * *

"Third floor, Ward A." the guard said, once again handing Squall a pair of keys.

"Thanks." Squall grumbled. He really did not want to be here.

He ambled over to the elevator and pushed the up button.

"Whoa man! It's you again!"

Squall would have very much liked to run away, but couldn't.

"You do work here then, eh? I don't work here myself," _Thank god._ "but my sister is sick and I'm always around. She's not too, too sick though. She'll be better soon, so I'm not worried. The doctor said she has mono, and she doesn't have a very good immune system, so that's why it's taking her so long to get better, you know? Anyway, I was in the hospital once when I was five and I tripped while holding a glass and cut my finger open, it was so cool! I had to get stitches, and the doctor gave me a lollipop when he was finished -"

"Oh, look," Squall said loudly, "my stop." He quickly got out of the elevator.

"Cool! This is my stop too!"

"Uhh...I mean... this isn't my stop, sorry." He quickly got back into the elevator and pushed Zell out. "Wrong floor."

"Aw, that's too bad, dude. I'll see you some other time then, yeah?"

"Whatever."

The elevator doors swooshed shut again, and all was quiet. Squall had never appreciated silence as much as he did at that moment. He pushed the second floor button. He figured if he walked once around the second floor and came back to the third Zell would be gone. Another ding and he was pacing the dimly lit hallway. He just hoped his boss wasn't around. He absently turned a corner, lost in thought. He was doing what he should have learned not to do by now: staring at his feet.

"Excuse me, do you know where the bathroom is?"

"Down the hall to the right," Squall murmured without looking up. He kept walking, and expected the speaker to do the same. After taking a few steps he noticed that they weren't moving. He stopped and turned around, meeting a pair of chocolate brown eyes. It was her.

"Do I know you?" she asked, tilting her head to one side and squinting at him.

"I...um...well, I don't think so...?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"You look really familiar, you know."

"Yeah?" he said, looking down at his feet again. She was the girl in his dreams, the once who was running and crying and searching for something unknown. She was the one he had wanted so desperately to help. He had thought she wasn't real, but now she was standing right in front of him, staring at him with a puzzled look on her face. The pale skin, the raven black hair, the warm brown eyes, they were all there.

"Do you know a Seifer?"

Squall's heart stopped. Seifer? Oh god, she was the one he had almost killed. So he had saved her, in a way. Maybe the dreams would stop now.

"No," he snapped "should I?"

She looked a bit offended.

"Of course not," she said, with an equally snappy tone. "I was just wondering, since you look like a friend of his."

"I am NOT Seifer's friend!"

_Oh shit._

She gave a triumphant smirk.

"We seemed to have lied, didn't we?"

"I don't have time for this. I have to go to work."

"I'm not letting you leave until you answer my questions." She said, looking mutinous.

"Oh really?" Squall said quietly, taking a step towards her. "You think you can stop me from leaving, do you?"

She hesitated. He slowly came towards her and she slowly stepped away from him. His movements were cool and calculated, almost catlike. A cat stalking its prey.

"So, what is it you want to know?" he breathed, almost inaudible.

He had backed her up into a wall.

"I....I want....I..."

He suddenly grinned, showing off pointed eyeteeth. She gasped.

"You're just like Seifer!" she said loudly, before she could stop herself.

Squall frowned.

"No, I'm not like Seifer at all."

"Why...why did you help me?"

_Ah, so you've made that connection already._

"Because I don't like Seifer that much."

"That's it?" she shrieked, then quickly lowered her voice. "That's it? You see him...biting someone! And then only stop him because you don't like him, not because he might have killed me!"

"He would have killed you," Squall mused, still blocking her way.

"And that doesn't bother you?" she whispered, looking up at him.

He paused.

"Yes," he said shortly "it does."

With that he took a step back, and made an exaggerated sweep of his arm, showing that she could leave. She didn't move.

"You haven't answered my questions."

"I would love to, really, but I must get to work now."

She scoffed. "I bet you'd love to. Where can I find you when you're not busy?"

Squall almost laughed. She actually wanted tosee him again.

"Anywhere. But only at night."

He gave her a wicked grin and was gone.

* * *

Wow, I haven't updated this in a long long long time. I wasn't really into it, especiallyafter getting only TWO reviews with the last chapter I posted. shakes fist Anyway, review this one or else I'll sick Squall on you, and he's pretty mean. And check out the other story I just started as well.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

"Selphie? Are you even listening to me?"

"Of course I am, Rin. Really. How did your dad take it, by the way?"

"Not well at all," Rinoa said, sighing "but that's not what I called you about. Did…did you see anybody else at the party? Anyone suspicious?"

"Suspicious?" Selphie chirped "Suspicious how?"

"Like…not acting…" She trailed off. What exactly did she want from Selphie? "…Normal?"

"Normal? Like, not looking normal?"

"Partly, I guess," Rinoa murmured, twining the phone cord around a finger.

"Can't say I did, Rin. Why are you asking?"

"Its just…never mind. Forget it." She didn't know why she didn't tell Selphie. She doubted Selphie would have believed her anyway. Hell, she didn't even believe herself.

"How hard did you hit your head, hun?"

"Selphie!" Rinoa shrieked, trying to untangle her hand from the phone. She could hear Selphie giggling to herself on the other end.

"You know, you really need to—" She stopped talking, listening hard.

"What is it?" Selphie whispered, sensing Rinoa's discomfort.

"Shh… shit. Stay on the line for a minute." She put the phone back down on the receiver, taking care not to actually hang up, and then quickly crossed the room and sank down onto her bed just as her father bustled in through the doorway.

"I heard voices." Her father growled.

Rinoa feigned puzzlement. "Voices? Oh! I had the radio on. That must have been it."

Mr. Caraway's eyes flicked over to the phone. He stiffened in the doorway.

"That phone is going. First thing tomorrow."

"But—"

"No buts! You are grounded, young lady!"

"For how long?" Rinoa demanded, standing up.

"As long as I see fit."

"_As long as you see fit?_ You can't do that!"

"I can, and I will! You snuck out of the house, Rinoa! You almost _died!_"

There was a silence, in which his words hung in the air like a thick fog. Rinoa opened her mouth to retort, and then slowly closed it again. She looked down at her hands.

"I can't lose you too." He said, in a voice she had never heard him use before. Surprised, she looked up into his face. His eyes were overly bright. He didn't look as imposing as he usually did; instead, he looked rather pitiful, standing there silhouetted in her doorway.

"Dad…I…"

"Its time for bed. Goodnight, Rinoa."

"Goodnight," she whispered, knowing he had already left and shut the door behind him. She let out a heavy sigh and listened to make sure he had gone downstairs. When she was sure, she went back to the phone and picked up the receiver.

"Selphie?"

Nothing. Rinoa strained her ears, listening. There was no dial tone, and she could have sworn she heard something…

"Selphie?" She repeated. What was that noise?

"Selphie!" There it was again! That noise…it sounded like a voice. Selphie's voice?

"Selphie, answer me! This isn't funny!" There it was again, louder this time. It sounded like somebody sobbing.

Rinoa dropped the phone and slowly backed away from it.

"Oh god."

She had the sudden mental image of Seifer standing in Selphie's house, grinning, a malevolent glint in his eye.

"I've got to go…" She whispered to herself, her hands clutching her face. She hurried over to her bed and shoved some pillows under the covers so that if her father checked in on her he might mistake the lump for her sleeping form. Then she pulled her long overcoat on and slipped the window open. She swiftly pulled herself through the window and dangled there. Tediously, she held on with one hand and used the other to pull the window closed before dropping to the ground. She looked up at the window smugly for a second, and then set off down the sloping driveway towards Selphie's house.

She kept to the shadows, walking briskly to her destination. The street seemed even darker than usual, so sticking to the shadows was not proving difficult. Many of the streetlamps had gone out.

She shivered, pulling her coat closer together and crossing her arms for warmth. It was oddly cold out. Her breath froze and hung in the air before she ploughed through it, spreading to the sides where it mingled and disappeared with the air.

_Where is everybody?_

She arrived at Selphie's house. It looked empty and still, like it hadn't been lived in for a long time. A shell of a house. She inhaled deeply, the cold night air stinging her throat. Making her way up the walk, she noticed that the driveway was empty. Her parents were gone.

She hesitated at the front door, rocking on the balls of her feet. What if she had just imagined the whole thing? Rinoa shook her head fiercely. There was nothing for it.

She knocked.

It was silent until… was that a cry she heard?

Desperate now, she tried the front door only to find that it was locked.

"Selphie!" She cried, pounding on the door. It was definitely Selphie's voice, but it sounded oddly muffled.

Rinoa abandoned the front door and made her way to the back of the house.

_Please, let it be unlocked…_

It was.

She was in the pitch dark of the kitchen, that she knew.

_Where is the god damn light switch?_

She fumbled blindly along the wall for a moment, but failed to find anything.

Selphie's sobbing had increased in volume, still sounding muffled.

"Selphie?" Rinoa called. "What's going on?"

More hysterical sobs.

Rinoa felt along the wall, using it to guide her into the living room. She knew she was close. Her straying hands found a couch, and she moved along it, lightly brushing it to keep her place. Rinoa was starting to feel slightly frustrated; she couldn't even make out the shape of the couch. Suddenly her foot collided with something soft.

"Mmph!"

Rinoa dropped down onto one knee, searching the floor until she found Selphie's face. She had a gag in her mouth. Horrified, Rinoa carefully pulled it off before flinging it away like something contagious. Selphie was whispering something. Rinoa bent her head closer.

"What'd you say?"

A silence, where the only thing Rinoa could hear was Selphie's panicked breathing.

"_Run._"

Rinoa gasped and quickly stood up. She was too late. Someone grabbed her roughly from behind and clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her scream. A small dim lamp clicked on over to her right, illuminating the profile of a man slung casually in an armchair. He looked to be in his early twenties or so, and had long brown hair which was swept up into a ponytail. Rinoa's eyes widened as she furiously elbowed her captor, who merely laughed. The ponytail man gave a chuckle and stood up, surveying Rinoa thoughtfully.

"That was easier than I though. Who would have known you would be so predictable?"

"Fugck Yew" She spat through the hand that was pressed to her mouth.

"Now, now." Said ponytail in a silky voice.

Struck by a sudden inspiration, Rinoa opened her mouth wide and licked the inside of the man's hand.

"Eugh!" He exclaimed, quickly letting go and wiping his hand on his pants.

Rinoa spun away. "I could say the same for you," she spat. "Ugh."

She backed away warily, making sure both ponytail and his accomplice were in her field of vision, and careful not to tread on poor Selphie, who was tied up on the floor.

"Now, Rinoa." Said ponytail in a soothing voice. "Just come quietly and nobody will be hurt."

Rinoa noticed that he had a gun attached to a belt at his side, which she raised an eyebrow at.

"Who are you?" She asked slowly.

"I'm kind of wondering the same thing," said a voice behind her.

Rinoa spun around.

"You!" she hissed.

"Watch–"

Rinoa didn't even hear anyone come up to her before it was too late. Ponytail grabbed her around the waist, pinning her arms to her sides.

"…out."

She squirmed, stamping on ponytail's foot.

"Let me go, you bastard!"

"You heard the lady," Squall said softly.

"Yeah?" Ponytail sneered. "This has nothing to do with you. I'd advise you to leave right now and forget any of this happened."

"Hmm…that does sound inviting…" Squall said thoughtfully, scratching his chin. "I don't think I can, though. It's hard to forget these things, see."

"I can fix that." Ponytail said, with a faint trace of a growl.

"Squall! Watch out!"

Ponytail's accomplice had snuck up behind Squall. Squall turned, but accomplice grabbed him around the neck with one arm and pressed a gun to his temple with the other.

"There," said ponytail smugly. "Forgetting yet?"

Squall winced. "You know, I really can't say I am."

"Well. Maybe you just need some prompting."

_Click._

"How about now?"

"Nope." Squall said calmly. "Still fresh in my mind, I'm afraid."

"Pity." Said ponytail quietly, giving a slight nod to accomplice.

He pulled the trigger.

* * *

Hrm. That was interesting. I actually kind of forgot about this, but then I got a review from MafGoldenHeart (thanks, by the way) and started to write it again. So I got three reviews for the last chapter. Woo. It makes me sad. I don't know if I'll keep writing this one. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this. Anyways...REVIEW OR ELSE. Heheh. 


	8. Chapter 7

"Either way you turn,

I'll be there.

Open up your skull,

I'll be there.

Climbing up the walls."

Radiohead

Chapter 7

A shot rang out in the darkness.

"No!" Rinoa screamed as accomplice released Squall. He slumped to the floor, where he lay still. Red was seeping through the carpet.

"Oh my god…" sobbed Rinoa, struggling to be released. "You shot him!"

"I warned him," Ponytail said smugly.

"I c-can't believe you shot him!" Rinoa stammered, tears tickling down her face. She was still struggling to go to Squall. Selphie, forgotten, had edged away into the kitchen. Her hands were tied behind her, but she managed to open a drawer and draw out a rather wicked looking carving knife. She maneuvered the knife behind her and started hacking at her bonds.

"Stop squirming!" Ponytail snapped, back in the living room.

"What do you want?" Rinoa yelled. Her heard was beating so loudly she was sure the men could hear it. She drew a shaky breath, her eyes wildly scanning the room for some kind of weapon. Then she noticed that Selphie was no longer on the floor. She could hear noise from the kitchen.

"I'll come quietly if you tell me what's going on." Rinoa said loudly, trying to give Selphie some time and drown out the sawing noise.

"You're in no position to negotiate." Said ponytail, sounding very self-satisfied "But I'll humor you, just this once…"

"I've called the cops."

Selphie had returned, and was standing boldly in the doorway, carving knife in hand.

"Foolish girl!" Ponytail snapped, his voice angry again. "It makes no difference though." His arms tightened around Rinoa. "I'll just take her now, and I won't explain anything."

"I…D-don't think…you'll be doing that… anytime soon. Whooaa…"

Ponytail didn't even answer, just stared at Squall as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. His mouth slowly opened and stayed that way.

Squall got shakily to his feet, clutching his head and reeling slightly, looking even paler than usual. He blinked hard, trying to get the room to focus. There seemed to be double of everything….

Ponytail abruptly closed his mouth, looking angry with himself for losing his nerve. "Impossible!" he barked, his gaze flicking over to accomplice. His hold on Rinoa lessened slightly. "You were shot in the head!"

"Which I don't really appreciate." Squall said, frowning and shaking his head, still trying to make his eyes focus.

Ponytail was still staring at Squall, as if glaring at him would make him lie down on the floor and be quiet again. Sensing his distraction, Rinoa took the opportunity to shove a well-aimed elbow backwards into his crotch.

He yelled, then released Rinoa to double over, cursing.

Rinoa looked truly savage as she grabbed Ponytail's head forcefully with both hands and brought her knee up violently into his face; a move she had learned in a self-defense class that her father had forced her to take. There was the sound of bones breaking.

"Don't you ever touch me again." She spat, glaring down at Ponytail with contempt.

"You bitch!" Ponytail spluttered, backing away and holding his broken nose, trying to stem the flow of blood seeping through his fingers.

Accomplice, who had been watching in amazement, now came forward as if to grab Rinoa, but stopped suddenly. It soon became apparent why.

Squall had grabbed the gun right out of his hand so quickly that accomplice didn't even have time to stop him. He pressed it into his back.

"Leave."

Accomplice's arms slowly rose to show submission.

"Get out. And don't bother us again."

Accomplice didn't need telling twice. He slipped through the door and was gone.

"Really loyal partners you got there," Said Squall casually to Ponytail, toying with the gun in his hand. "I suggest you do the same thing. Get lost."

Ponytail's eyes narrowed over the hands that were still cupped to his face.

"Oh," continued Squall "you also might want to make a little trip to the hospital and get that checked out. It looks pretty nasty."

Ponytail spat a mixture of saliva and blood contemptuously at Squall's feet.

"I'll be back."

Squall's expression remained passive.

"I wouldn't doubt it," he said, examining a nail and looking as if he really had better things to do. "But I would advise you not to."

Ponytail snarled, and, taking one last look at Rinoa, strode out the door and slammed it behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Squall dropped the gun as if it was contaminated and staggered to the left a few steps, clutching his head. He winced and dropped heavily onto the floor.

"Are you alright?" Rinoa asked, kneeling down beside him. Selphie left her post at the doorway and took a few steps closer to Squall, looking concerned.

Squall fought the urge to snap a witty comment about being all right after being shot in the head and managed to choke out "Fine."

Her fingers gently pried his hand away from his temple. Somewhere in the back of her mind she noticed that his hands didn't feel right. They were so cold…

"Don't." he whispered, trying to edge out of her reach.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Rinoa said softly. "Just let me see."

"Its not you hurting me that I'm worried about."

Rinoa froze.

Squall looked away. He didn't want to see her expression.

The sounds of sirens cut through the air, quietly at first but growing louder by the second.

Selphie gave a little wail, wringing her hands.

"There's blood all over my carpet! How am I going to explain this one?"

"Sorry," Squall snapped, his frustration getting the better of him. "I'll try not to bleed so much the next time that I'm shot."

Selphie looked flustered.

Rinoa stood up and took one end of the couch.

"Help me move this," she grunted.

Selphie crossed the room, giving Squall a wide berth, and picked up the other end of the couch. Together they moved it on top of the large red stain, neatly covering it from view.

The sirens were ear splitting now, and flashing red and blue could be seen on the walls. They suddenly cut out, and they could hear two car doors slamming.

"They're here." Selphie said in a stage whisper. Squall rolled his eyes to himself, and struggled to seat himself on the couch just as there was a knock on the door.

Selphie squared her petite shoulders and marched over to the door. She paused for a moment before opening it and peeking her head out.

"Yes?"

"We had a call come from here earlier." Came a gruff voice. "Some kind of disturbance. Can we come in?"

"Umm. No."

"Is there a reason why not, miss?"

"I'm, um…naked. Yeah. Naked. Right here. Right now. Sorry."

"Can you tell us why we got a call from here, then?" The officer asked slowly.

"That was an accident. Sorry about that. I thought I heard somebody in the house. I panicked and called you." Rinoa had never realized that Selphie was a truly talented actor.

"And what was it? The noise, I mean."

"Oh! It was my…cat."

"Your cat." The officer repeated.

"My cat."

"Right." He said slowly again. "Well, if you're sure that everything, we've got_ important _things to be doing. Not cat break-ins, mind you."

"Right you are, officer, sir. Sorry about the call and everything."

"Well, you can never be too safe, I guess."

"Erm, yes. I'll keep that in mind. Have a good night!" Selphie gave a limp little wave, then remembered that she was supposed to be naked and slipped behind the door again. The officer was already heading down the walk towards his car and didn't notice.

Selphie quickly shut the door and leaned against it, her hand over her heart.

She took a deep breath.

"Well_ that_ was embarrassing. My cat? Seriously. I don't even own a cat." She made her way to the kitchen, grumbling.

Rinoa was still sitting on the floor, looking dazed.

"Can anyone tell me what just happened?" She asked faintly to nobody in particular.

Squall was gazing down at the floor. At the sound of her voice his eyes shifted to where she sat. He crossed his arms.

"I think you need to tell me."

Rinoa glared at him.

"I have no idea. I don't know who those men were. Or who you are, come to think of it."

"It doesn't matter," Squall said, somewhat bitterly.

"No. It does matter. Selphie was tied up, gagged, and lying on the floor. Some strange men grabbed me and tried to take me away. You were _shot_, for heaven's sake! Don't you dare try to tell me that it doesn't matter!" She paused, and then asked, her voice softer.

"Who are you?"

Squall noticed that she hadn't asked _"What_ are you?". He brushed the thought away impatiently.

"Nobody. I'm nobody."

Rinoa scoffed.

"Like hell you're nobody. I've never met a person who could be shot in the head and then stand up three minutes later, quite alive."

It was Squalls give a dry laugh.

"Alive? Is that what you think I am?" He sounded defeated, bitter. "I don't even remember what being alive feels like."

A slight cough caused both Rinoa and Squall to jump slightly. It was Selphie.

"Uh, guys? I don't mean to change the subject, or anything, but my parents are going to be home soon and there's blood all over my living room floor and some strange men entered my house and tied me up and …" she continued rambling, sounding slightly hysterical.

Rinoa jumped up and went over to her friend.

"Shh, Selphie, calm down."

"Calm down?" Selphie shrieked. Squall winced from his perch on the couch as her shrill voice pierced his eardrums. "How am I supposed to calm down? You have no idea what it was like! No idea!"

"I know I don't Selphie, really, but you need to be calm right now. I don't know what's happening either. We'll just have to figure this out."

Selphie sniffled and ran her sleeve across her nose.

"You're right, Rin." She gave another little sniff and then wrapped her arms around Rinoa, hugging her tightly.

"Yes, well…" Rinoa patted Selphie's head awkwardly.

"Well if you guys are finished, I'm just going to go."

Squall was standing by the door, his pale skin gleaming in the dim lamplight.

"Not yet, you're not." Rinoa snapped, all business again. She pushed herself away from Selphie and stepped in front of the door, barring Squall's escape. "I want you to answer a couple questions first."

Squall looked livid. He opened his mouth furiously to retort, then slowly closed it again.

_She deserves this much._

"Shoot." He said, looking away and crossing his arms again.

"Okay. First off, what's your name?"

He seemed reluctant to answer. There was a pause.

"Squall," he snapped finally, carefully not looking at Rinoa.

"Squall." She repeated. "Alright, Squall. Now, what were you doing in Selphie's house? Not that we minded the help, or anything."

"I was just passing by, saw you go in, recognized you, heard some weird noises, and came in to check it out. Can I go now?"

Rinoa didn't answer. She was too busy looking thoughtfully at Squall. He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

"Who were those men?"

"I already told you," Squall said, sounding exasperated "I have no idea."

"Hmm…."

Suddenly, the living room was filled with light. It was the headlights off Selphie's parent's car as they pulled into the driveway.

Selphie groaned from where she was still standing near the entrance to the kitchen.

"Just tell them you re-arranged some furniture." Rinoa whispered, squinting in the bright light. The lights cut out and they were enveloped in darkness again. Rinoa could hear Selphie's parents laughing as they walked up to the door. There was the jingle of keys, the soft murmur of voices. The door swung open.

"Why was the door unlocked?" Came Selphie's father's voice.

"Oh hi, Rinoa." Selphie's mother said, coming in after her husband. "I didn't know you were spending the night."

"Must have slipped my mind," Selphie croaked, her hands clasped rigidly in front of her.

"Well," said Selphie's mother in a kindly voice "We're heading to bed. Don't stay up too late, ladies." They both bustled out of the living room as swiftly as they had come.

_Ladies?_

Rinoa gasped and spun around.

Squall was gone.

* * *

Welllllll...that was interesting. Thanks for everybody who reviewed last time, it means a lot. Give me some feedback ( 


	9. Chapter 8

Squall was pissed. His head hurt.

His hands clenched themselves into fists as he strode furiously down the familiar narrow alley, not bothering to avoid the puddles of mud and filth that collected in potholes in the asphalt. He brought his fist up to the green door and pounded on it, not stopping until it was opened.

"Who the FUCK is there?"

Squall didn't even answer, just pushed himself through the door and grabbed Seifer by the shirt collar, slamming him up against a nearby wall.

"Who were they?" He spat, voice low, as he started unblinkingly into Seifer's strange green eyes. Would he be able to tell if he was lying…?

Seifer was looking confused, and very faintly amused.

"Put me down, Squall. I don't know what you're talking about. Really, that temper. You have some issues."

Squall gave an animal-like growl and let go. No, he wasn't lying. He would have been able to tell, after all. He paced the room, his back to Seifer, who was grimacing slightly and massaging his neck.

"Who were they then?" He mused, running a hand absent-mindedly through his hair, something he did when he was stressed.

"Mind elaborating?" Seifer suggested, swinging the door shut that Squall had left open. He didn't seem to be angry at all.

Squall turned towards him.

"Er. Sorry about the, uh," He waved a hand at Seifer's throat.

Seifer shrugged.

"Hey, its no problem. I've had worse." He grinned. "Not like you could hurt me much anyways, boy."

Squall was silent for a moment.

"Then why did you leave that girl the other night when I threatened you? You could have easily got rid of me."

Squall, who had been expecting Seifer to suddenly remember and get angry at last, was horribly surprised. On the contrary, Seifer's face broke into a wide grin.

"Oh." He said sheepishly, "That."

"Oh, what?"

"Well. I was looking forward to her, you know. But then you arrived, and I figured, hey, why not let you have her instead?" Seifer shrugged, still grinning. "Did you?"

Squall clenched his teeth, glaring darkly at his companion. "No." He said shortly. "I didn't."

Seifer sighed. "Well, it was worth a shot, I suppose."

"Why don't you just leave it!" Squall said loudly, exasperated. "I don't want to kill, okay? Let it be."

"Killing is our nature," Seifer said, patiently. They had been through this many times. "That's what we do. You can't go on living from a bottle all the time. That's not what living is."

"Well then maybe we shouldn't be living!"

Seifer merely sighed, casting his eyes upward.

"What did you come storming in here about, anyway?"

"The girl," Squall croaked, "The girl you, uh, gave to me, that night. I met her, in the hospital. Scared her, I think. Anyways, I've been… dreaming about her." He looked up at Seifer, who was frowning down at him.

"Go on."

"Nightly. There's no way around it. She's always running, in my dream. Looking for something, but she can never find it. And all I can do is watch. I can never move, never shout out, nothing. Just watch her panic and run and look. And tonight, I was out walking, and I saw her on the street. The same girl. So I followed her. She went into this house and I was just about to dismiss it, figuring it was her house, when I heard a scream. So I went in. There were two guys in there, one with a gun. And another girl, I'm guessing it was her friend. They were dragging my girl out, or at least trying to. I…" He stopped, then slowly blushed a deep, deep red. "I thought you sent them."

Seifer looked astonished for a full thirty seconds before bursting out laughing. "You…" He croaked, "Thought that I sent…" He couldn't even finish his sentence for laughing so hard.

Squall was determinedly not meeting his eyes, still blushing.

After a moment Seifer had recovered enough to ask "Why would I do such a thing?"

"I don't know." Squall groaned. "I just thought you still wanted her, were mad at me, I don't know. I guess I wanted someone to blame it on."

"Ah," Seifer said wisely, discreetly wiping a teary eye. "I forget how young you are, sometimes."

"Should I take that as a compliment?"

"Yeah, probably. Take what you can get."

"Right. So, anyways, I got rid of the guys. Got shot in the head. Then freaked out and ran, you know. It was weird." Squall waved Seifer away, who was looking concerned and trying to get close enough to examine his temple, "I'm fine."

"You lost a bit of blood for being fine, if that's all yours," He gestured at Squalls shirt, which was damp from his blood. He hadn't even noticed. "Just let me see."

Squall growled his consent and endured a few seconds of Seifer closely inspecting his head, brushing away his blood-crusted hair to look.

"Yeah, it healed nicely. Pushed the bullet right out. Good blood'll do that." Seifer proclaimed, puffing out his chest and releasing Squall.

"I told you it was fine."

"Yes. Well I didn't believe you, obviously. You're usually not a good judge of these things."

"Whatever."

Seifer turned to throw himself into a nearby armchair, stretching his long limbs out with a sigh.

"Right, so. What are you going to do about it?" He asked, after noisily making himself comfortable.

Squall stared at him, cold blue eyes pleading.

"I don't know." He whispered, amazed at how much that fact frustrated him. He paused.

"What _can_ I do about it? I… I have no idea what's going on."

The blonde shrugged.

"Me neither. These men obviously want her for something. Any ideas?" He frowned to himself as Squall shook his head, then continued. "Well… I really have no clue. The best you can do, if you really are this curious, is just to watch. And wait. Hopefully it'll be clearer soon. I've never heard of anything quite like this before."

Squall nodded, and started pacing, running another hand through his hair. Seifer yawned and straightened up.

"It's getting late." He stated, without looking out the window. "As in early. You won't be getting back to your apartment tonight. You know where the spare bedroom is." He was out of the room faster than Squall's eye could follow. "There's blood in the fridge." His voice called, getting further away.

A door slammed.

Squall sighed.


End file.
